This is a manifestation of an old narrative: that deforestation and environmental destruction are the fault of the poor. Since they’re doing this “just to feed their families,” it would be unjust to stop them, and since the big companies aren’t the ones to blame, it wouldn’t do any good to go after them either. So: too bad, but nothing can be done.

This story is often repeated, not only in Southeast Asia about palm oil but throughout the tropics, and has sometimes been influential among people who feel torn between their love of the environment and their dedication to social justice. But, is it true? Here’s what the scientific evidence shows.

Last year, an important paper on the subject was published in Conservation Letters by Janice Lee and colleagues that looked at just this question. Using data from Sumatra covering the period 2000-2010, they found that smallholders were responsible for just 11% of the deforestation, even though their farms covered about 40% of the land in oil palm. Large private enterprises, on the other hand, caused 88% of the deforestation. In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, the figures were almost identical: 9% and 90%. So it’s overwhelmingly the big companies that are destroying forest to create oil palm plantations and causing dangerous climate change.

Most of the deforestation due to oil palm is caused by large plantations. SOURCE: Sharon Smith, UCS.

These studies not only show that the narrative about who’s causing deforestation is incorrect. They also reflect broader, global issues about the unequal distribution of land. A recent background paper for the 2014 issue of the FAO’s State of Food and Agriculture report estimated that the world has somewhat over 570 million farms, and the vast majority of these are very small. In fact, more than 475 million of them are less than 2 hectares (5 acres) in size, and more than 410 million are less than 1 hectare. But while 84% of farms are under 2 hectares, they control only 12% of global farmland.

Another part of the puzzle comes from an important 2010 study in Nature Geoscience, by Ruth DeFries and colleagues. They showed how the causes of deforestation have changed in the 21st century. It’s not driven by peasant farmers producing for their own subsistence, but predominantly by large-scale commercial farms, ranches and plantations producing commodities for urban and export markets.

Taken together, this evidence shows that if we keep on repeating the 20th-century narrative about the causes of deforestation, we’re blaming the wrong people and giving the large and mid-size companies a pass. This story was effectively rebutted in Indonesia by Mansuetus Darto, who chairs Indonesia’s Oil Palm Smallholders Union (SPKS). The government is using “the welfare of oil palm farmers” to oppose attempts to reduce deforestation, he told the Jakarta Globe, while failing to address smallholders’ real problems. He pointed to an Agriculture Ministry regulation that prevents palm oil farmers from getting bank loans, and the ending of both training for them to increase their yields and the provision of good-quality seeds that would allow them to do this.

Darto concluded, “The real focus should be on how to increase productivity instead of expanding the plantations.” He’s absolutely right.

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Oil palm is cultivated by small holders particularly because mills (operated by or for large enterprises) exist – the fresh palm fruit must be milled within 24 hours or so of being harvested. In effect therefore, large enterprises control production, irrespective of whether they directly establish or manage oil palm plantations.

Frederick

Interesting article – but with the most recent study into deforestation that you quote from 4 years ago, I can’t help feeling this is a bit out of date. No doubt big corporations were responsible in the past, but with the huge upsurge in no-deforestation commitments by big companies, is it really still the case? The evidence you present doesn’t convince me one way or the other….

The root cause of deforestation arising from palm oil production is the demand for palm oil as an ingredient in all sorts of food products. Population growth means more food is required. More prosperity means more food is in demand. Ingredients for food have to come from somewhere. The question is what is the optimum land use to produce the ingredients that are needed while at the same time getting the best environmental outcomes both in terms of carbon sequestration and in terms of ecosystem resilience, not to mention the human and social dimension of palm oil production.
Peter Burgesshttp://www.truevaluemetrics.org

Richard Solomon

Thanks for sharing some research about who the real ‘culprits’ are when it comes to deforestation in general and the fires in Indonesia in particular. The only thing this post did not note is the likelihood that the Indonesian governmental official blaming the small farmers got his job largely because of support, if not financial backing, from the large palm oil corporations responsible for the majority of the fires. Oftentimes money talks when it comes to government spokespersons.